Find out what’s new for Microsoft partners. We’ll connect you to resources that help you become market-ready, connect with customers and prospects, and differentiate your business. Read previous issues of our online newsletter.
We provide real-time updates about the topics covered in this newsletter and other partner-related news and information on our US Partner Community Twitter feed.
To stay in touch with me and connect with other partners and Microsoft sales, marketing, and product experts, join our US Partner Community on Yammer and see other options to stay informed.
Top stories
Microsoft US Partner Group VP: Our commitment to you begins with a renewed focus on enablement
Stephen Boyle, the Vice President for the Microsoft US Partner Group, announces a change in his organization to increase focus on partner enablement.
WPC 2016: Register before February 2 to secure your all-access pass at the low price of $1,795
Join the thousands of partners who will come to Toronto this July to get business done. You’ll discover new solutions, innovations, and partnerships while expanding your professional network.
- At 12:01am Pacific Time on February 2, the price for an all-access pass goes up by US$200
- Download the business value email template
- Follow @wpcus on Twitter for updates about Partner of the Year Awards and US partner activities at WPC
- Discover the WPC experience
FastTrack and Adoption Offers update: support for SMB customers, offer expansion and extension
As part of our continued investment in FastTrack as a customer success service designed to help customers move to Office 365 and realize business value faster, there are updates that will take effect on February 1. Customers purchasing between 50-149 seats of Office 365 that do not have a Digital Partner of Record or partner in the CSP program will be able to get on-demand guidance in the FastTrack Center through an in-product experience. In addition, the Adoption Offer will include those customers, and the offer has been extended to June 30.
- Learn more about the FastTrack and Adoption Offer updates
- Get resources that help your customer add you as their Digital Partner of Record
- Find out how the Cloud Solution Provider program can benefit your partner business
- Join the FastTrack group on the US Partner Community Yammer network
February 2: Windows 10 partner training – What you need to know about the November update
Windows 10 has been designed to be the more most secure, manageable and productive version of Windows ever for the enterprise. With the November Update, Windows keeps getting better. Businesses around the world are already deploying Windows 10, taking advantage of the most secure and easy to manage version of Windows ever. Learn about the new capabilities for IT and users and see first-hand how Windows 10 can help transform your customers’ businesses.
- Register for the February 2 training
- Windows 10 technical training on Microsoft Virtual Academy
- Windows 10 partner technical training Winter schedule
February 3 Cloud Competency Attainment call: focus on Cloud Platform
The Cloud Platform competency enables you to capitalize on the growing demand for infrastructure and software as a service (SaaS) solutions built on Microsoft Azure. Join Chinmayi Bhavanishankar for an in-depth look at this competency’s requirements and benefits, and get an estimated timeline for attainment. Members of the MPN Support team and competency subject-matter experts will be available to answer partner questions.
- Download the calendar file with call details from Yammer
- Learn more about how to get started with the cloud competencies
- Cloud Platform learning path
- Information about the Cloud Platform competency
February 4 Office 365 Partner Community call: The Modern Intranet – powered by SharePoint Services
Microsoft SharePoint expert Mark Kashman will join this call to talk about The Modern Intranet, which spans SharePoint offerings within Office 365 and on-premises environments. You’ll learn about Office 365 Video, Delve “People Experiences,” SharePoint Team Sites, and custom portal development opportunities. We’ll share product demos and answer common partner questions.
- Register for the February 4 call
- Watch previous Office 365 Partner Community calls on demand
- Office 365 technical training on Microsoft Virtual Academy
- Access your Cloud Services Partner Dashboard to track your customers’ cloud subscriptions
February 5 US SMB Partner Insider calls for East, Central, and West Regions
Each month, your local Microsoft team hosts a partner call that provides you with business insights, news, and resources. You’ll get information about opportunities, programs, and upcoming events.
- Register for your Regional call
- Learn about the US SMB Live roadshow events coming to 28 United States cities
- The Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program lets you own the customer lifecycle
Self-paced technical training for Microsoft Enterprise Mobility Suite
Build your deployment expertise for Microsoft Enterprise Mobility Suite (EMS) with self-paced training. EMS comprises identity and access management, mobile device and application management, data protection, and advanced threat detection.
- Learn more about the EMS partner learning path
- Visit the Microsoft Enterprise Mobility website
- Enterprise Mobility technical training on Microsoft Virtual Academy
- EMS partner technical training Winter schedule
- On-demand partner sales webcast for EMS
SQL Server 2005 end of support is April 12 – help your customers move to a modern data platform
Customers running SQL Server 2005 after April 12 will no longer receive security updates. Help them upgrade to SQL Server 2014 and Azure SQL Database to optimize their data platform infrastructure.
- Resources for planning upgrades
- Download the free Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit
- SQL Server 2005 upgrade webcast: The path to better database performance and security
Programs and resources for developer partners
The Microsoft Partner Network is investing in developer partners, and the opportunity for developers, IP providers, and ISVs at Microsoft is continuing to grow. Join Sharon Lee from the US Partner Team for a new series of community calls that will explain MPN resources, provide you with best practices for partner-to-partner connection, and more.
- Register for calls on February 11, February 18, and March 8
- How to overcome three common challenges of app development
- Learn about MPN investments in developer partners
- Visit the new ISV and Application Builder Center